Kyoto's Golden Kinkakuji vs Silver Ginkakuji ★ ONLY in JAPAN
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มิ.ย. 2024
- Kyoto is Japan’s cultural capitol and home to over 2000 temples & shrines to visit, but it’s hard to know which ones to see when you only have a few days. This time, Kansai resident Kevin Riley and I debate two of the most visited zen Buddhist temples: Kinkakuji vs Ginkakuji
▶︎ KINKAKU-JI (1397)
Kinkakuji is called the “Golden Pavilion” or Golden Temple and is the more popular of the two because of its iconic gold leaf exterior. It was built in 1397.
★ PROS: It’s one of the famous scenes in Japan
★ CONS: It’s too crowded except for the first 15 minutes of the day. The surrounding gardens are kind of boring compared to other temples & shrines and there isn’t much to do in the area. Few shops and restaurants. There is no subway or train nearby. It can take up to an hour to arrive by bus from JR Kyoto Station when there is traffic.
● Google map: goo.gl/maps/pLYZuFBxzKp
▶︎ GINKAKU-JI (1490)
Ginkakuji is called the “Silver Pavilion” or Silver Temple and is located on the East side of Kyoto and the start to the famous “Philosopher's Path” which eventually gets you to Kiyomizudera. Ginkakuji was supposed to be covered in silver foil but the Shogun who was building it died before it’s completion and the decision not to complete it give it a wabi-sabi aesthetic to it. It has a sand garden and a hilltop view.
★ PROS: Less crowded than Kinkakuji and the building is surrounded with tree giving it a more zen-like feel / connection to nature. It’s on the East side of the city meaning there is more to do, a shopping street and loads of restaurants outside. The grounds are well groomed, not paved. Lovely moss. Sand garden and small bamboo outcrop near the restrooms.
★ CONS: It’s slightly more expensive than Kinkakuji. The walk from the bus station take 10-12 minutes to arrive on foot.
● Google map: goo.gl/maps/WHeJpYTk76A2
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How to get to Kinkakuji:
Take the bus in front of JR Kyoto Station. Take bus 101 or 205 (220 yen / $2 / 40-50 minutes)
* There is usually a long queue to ride this bus after 10am.
Take the JR Sanin Main Line to Emmachi Station (2 stops) then grab a taxi (900-1000 yen / $9-$10 / 7 minutes) Total time: 25-30 minutes. You can also take the Metro Karasuma Line from JR Kyoto station to Kitaoji then grab a taxi.
▷ Special thank you to Kevin Riley! Check out his channel Kuma's Kitchen here: / @kumaskitchen
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/ onlyinjapantv
Behind the scene photos from locations around Japan!
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The video was produced and created by John Daub.
ONLY in JAPAN is a registered trademark and all rights are reserved 2018. - บันเทิง
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Don't forget to VOTE for the attraction you like in the video at 10:30 :) Share your Kyoto travel story below, your top 5 attractions or what you loved about #kyoto and I'll pin the best comment or list to the top! Japan location photos on instagram: instagram.com/onlyinjapantv Thanks for watching! -john
ONLY in JAPAN thanks for the vid John!!!! 👍
I think you're right, especially if you only have 1 day. I've got a trip coming up in a few months and I think you've just changed my itinerary!
I'm here in Fukuoka this is my first time in Japan finally my dream come true thank you Lord God bless us all
I was wondering why some bath houses don't let people with Tattoos in. Could you do a video on it.
Medserr Serrano Welcome to Fukuoka 👍
Pokemon Gold/Silver versions make sense now.
The sight of the Sliver Pavilion in the rain was so beautiful I cried.
John, thank you for another wonderful video!
My husband and I visited both temples and were very impressed by both: Kingakuji looks absolutely stunning but Ginkakuji feels more humble and in harmony with it's natural surroundings. I highly recommend visiting both (even with those crowds) but Ginkakuji is definitely number 1 for me.
My top 5 (or more) would be:
* Kiyomizudera (the walk uphill through that busy shopping street is fun (so much to see, eat, buy!) and arriving at the temple complex is worth the journey. It's breathtakingly beautiful!)
* Fushimi inari (we arrived at dusk, so we experienced it with a bit of daylight when we started walking the torii path. We didn't make it to the top of the mountain but the nighttime views were absolutely wonderful)
* Ginkakuji (and after that we walked the Philosopher's Path, which was especially beautiful due to the cherry blossom season. I loved how the fallen sakura petals made the water in the canal look pink. It was a relaxing walk and we took our time to enjoy it.)
* Kinkakuji (Yes, you can buy the postcard, but for me personally it's still an important experience to see the real thing. I'm glad we made the effort to visit it.)
* Byōdō-in (Outside Kyoto in Uji. We stayed at 鮎宗 along the river Uji with this wonderful UNESCO Heritage Site just about in our backyard. It has a beautiful garden and the museum is very interesting. Uji is also high on my list of recommendations. If you stay in Kyoto then make sure to visit Uji, the cradle of tea culture in Japan!
* Miyako Odori (Not a place but an event that I really wanted to throw into the mix! It can only be seen in the month of April: every Spring the maiko and geisha of Kyoto perform cherry blossom dances during the Miyako Odori. This is probably the best chance for tourists and the general public to experience the art of the geiko community. You have to make reservations well in advance but if you're interested then this is a definite must-see.)
Sorry for my lengthy comment but I hope it adds a bit to your story. (^_^)
Kyoto was overwhelming with their number of temples. It is an experience I'll never forget. Top floor of Kyoto Station has the best tonkatsu I've ever had, to boot :D
Your channel never upsets John!
Your channel is a favorite of mine whenever it comes to Japan! Love from the Philippines!
Kevin is right the silver one is great
You're videos are what truly sparked my love for Japan. Keep up the amazing work John!
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I still gotta say Kinkakuji is my favorite. I went to Kinkakuji during the fall and Ginkakuji during the spring though, so maybe that affected my overall feeling.
Same here, I visited Kinkakuji in fall on a beautiful day with blue sky and she was very beautiful. Visited Ginkakuji in Spring and Ginkakuji was not so pretty. Yes, definitely lesser people at Ginkakuji.
When the sky is blue and the sakura trees are in full bloom, the reflection in the pond is magical.
TokiYuYu 丶
I think it depends on what you’re looking for. The history of Kinkakuji is quite important to Japanese and the gold is stunning but the crowds kill the feeling of an important Kyoto Temple and turns it to a Disney-esque attraction. It’s hard to get lost in that beautiful pond when you’re getting pushed in the back by people wanting photos :p
Maybe they need a one in - one out policy? Quota on tickets? Online reservation? 🤔 It is what it is :) it’s still in my top 5 but as a total experience, for me, Ginkakuji wins because it feels like a temple close to nature despite the people around it.
Hm, maybe the winter would be a good time to visit? Less crowds? And snow is also beautiful.
I really enjoy the content you and Kevin put out. Can’t wait to see what more you guys have in store for us!
my pick, based solely on this video and the Golden Pavillion livestream, is the Silver Pavillion . even the rain looked more appealing there ... :)
Your videos are at a TV-quality level, I've watched them all except the live ones. Thank you for bringing us quality content!
Wow what a great channel! I am about to travel to Japan for first time. This is so awesome!!
Thanks for the video filled with pertinent content! I visited Japan last fall. And this is exactly the type of video i was searching for to help me plan my visit. Saving this for my next visit.
Thanks! It's a shame TH-cam won't suggest this video because it has "temple" and "shrines" which is considered religious and controversial words :( but it's useful anyway for visitors to see what the experience is like.
@@WaoryuONLYinJAPAN thumbs up for your video. Thumbs down for TH-cam for not promoting great content creator. Keep up the great work and positive energy!
Thanks for the great Episode!! Best way to wake up for a work day!!
Yess onlyinjapan is my favourite anime
What it's not an anime kid.
What were u looking at ?
@@huckledevil just joke
Love your videos. Visiting Kyoto, Osaka & Tokyo in October. Can't wait!
Thank you for another great video, John!
Just beautiful I have no words!
The rainy scenery of the Ginkakuji looks so beautiful!😍😍
thanks for your high quality produced videos. keep up the good work John.
Temples in Japan are simply stunning
Thank you for all your hard work on these amazing videos!! Love
Thank you for this video, bringing back charming memories about the atmosphere in those beautifull places.
Thanks for another great video Jhon!!!! Love it
I'm a simple man. I see Kevin, I smash the like button!
lol me too. I love his channel Kuma's Kitchen as well.
Finally a new episode! Love your videos!!
I love your videos!! Wish we got to see more of them! 😭🤗🤗🤗😂
Saw both on my honeymoon! Gotta go with Ginkakuji! Love the show, am hopelessly addicted!
I love this channel it gives me idea’s where I should go when I make it to japan
The rain really adds beauty (that cant be captured by a picture) to the surrounding area. Though it is not comfortable visiting on a rainy day. Thanks John for showing us the beauty of the Pavilions on the rain
Awesome, a new episode! Love your videos, they make me look forward to visiting Japan one day!! 😃
I like both!! Great work!!
It really cracks me up how much John hates rain, where as if I was there that's all I would ever hope for and I find it makes everything more magical
I love the rain - good for the trees! Being IN the rain all afternoon with wet shoes, not so much. Isn't there a difference?
Absolutely beautiful and serene footage in the rain.
This video is so much helpful!
I love your videos!
Love your videos!
I felt peaceful watching this. Love it
I LOVE your professional style! With all the background-informations, keep it up ;-)
8:42 come on, that view is absolutely gorgeous 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 i love rainy days
Temple of the Golden Pavilion is one of my most favorite novels ever! I would love to see it in person one day!
always a good time a video from you
nice to see you reacting on Instagram
Keep up the amazing content!
I'm glad you guys introduced Japanese culture. It's a very contrasting temple. In my case, when I was a student, I preferred to Kinkakuji, and when I became an adult, I preferred to Ginkakuji. ✨
I am living right now in Japan,,,I love Yokoto so much...
Thanks for another great video, they are quite valuable as a trip planner of sites and places to visit.
I always watch your videos and show my friends. Great job :)
I was in Japan two months ago, and had half a day in Kyoto. My friend and I rented bicycles from near the train station, and drove to the Golden Temple. Gives a different perspective on the city, and you don't necessarily feel like a tourist and you can sort of avoid the crowds. I can really recommend it!
Great content !
Love it John, thanks bruh 😉
We love your videos! Brazilian fans living in the UK. Always watching you live on Instagram.
You convinced me Ginkakuji ! Kyoto is always special for me, first place I stayed in Japan and where I got married, cheers
I went to both 20 years ago, in 1998 summer, and the vision of Kinkakuji on a bright summer day is incredible. I bet if I went there today and see it again, I will still be amazed. If there are two things that are still fresh on my memory from my trip to Japan it is the first sight of Kinkakuji when I reached the end of the path way toward it; and the other thing that I still remember was visiting Hiroshima and seeing the Japan flags raised half-staff (I happened to visit Hiroshima on the bomb day).
Great video!
Worth the wait 👌🙏
Nice video as always! But my favorite part was at 3:00 and how the water was so clear you could see the reflection and the colors of the building flipped exactly
Seems like there’s more to see and wander through at Ginakakjui. More to make a day trip out of, to me! ❣️ plus, you can see more afterwards! Thank you for this!💕
A pleasing video to start a day 😇
Great video and very informative, per usual. Ginkakoji gets my vote. Can’t wait to see both. My wife’s parents live in Kyoto, so we will definitely explore all of Nipon and Kyoto. 4 thumbs up.
I love only in Japan Go, but I Loooooove Only in Japan. I wait for these videos. Makes my entire evening here in NYC metro. Keep up the awesome work.
Thank you for this great video, John! 👌🏼 We’ve been to Kinkakuji and it’s beautiful. Haven’t been to Ginkakuji yet but we’ll definitely visit this coming November. Thank you for the great insight 🙂
Go when there are ripples on the water, and when the sunlight reflects those moving ripples onto the temple itself; it looks magical.
Awesome video of the temples in Kyoto Japan John Eric from Patreon thanks for early release
Good review of both.
I loved this episode
Yay! New upload
great job john
Ginkakuji in the rain, looks magical.
Thanks for this video, John! I really had Kinkakuji in mind for my trip this September but knowing that it would be best for just a few photos shows that it isn't better than Ginkakuji. I was going to skip Ginkakuji but you just changed my mind. Thanks!
went there in the winter in feb....it started snowing as soon as we were allowed to enter....made for some beautiful pics and experience
Great episode, I like better Kyoto in the rain, gives such a nice / cozy feeling. Always fun to see Kevin!!! 😊 I am a big fan of his channel, Kuma's kitchen.
I went to Kyoto four years ago and I’m actually going again next week! I’m so excited, I’m probably biased. I really like Kinkakuji. I went during Golden Week and it wasn’t suffocatingly crowded. You can also walk up the mountain behind Kinkakuji. Once you get to the top I remember vendors, snacks, and the ability to watch a traditional tea ceremony. I might have actually got a little too close to nature because I got an ant bite while I was walking around Kinkakuji. Lol. I can’t wait to visit Ginkakuji next week!
Hey John you should do an episode dedicated to Japanese umbrellas and how they are made......maybe a trip to Kyoto with Kevin???? 😁
Thank you John and Kevin, you made a though choice a lot easier for me :). I'll be visiting Japan this September and October and Kyoto is also on my list.
Wow pretty interesting video; I really like it :D really beautiful places
Hi John, you got me, at minute 3:24, passing by, from right to left, with the green cap and sunglasses. This is incredible to me because before I went to Japan, last May, I saw many of your videos, your videos were a great help to me, to better plan my trip and to better understand the japanese way of life. I could never imagine that when in Japan I would be filmed by you in one of your "Only in Japan" videos, that's incredible. Best regards from Portugal and thanks for your videos, keep up the good work!
WOW!! I tried to respect those who were in the video by blurring their faces. It was hard but we could still see you walk by!! Thanks for being a part of the series now, Luis! All the best from Tokyo, John
Watched your all videos in a non stop streak😂
Keep up the nice work
Now I too want to visit Japan😁
this video help me. thank you
So many good memories
Love your videos. Very inspiring. If possible could you do a video on the Arashiyama area of Kyoto and go via the Randen tram. Keep up the great content.
I'm with Kevin on this, I love the look of rain and trees, and Kinkakuji is definitely the underrated but more beautiful one.
Kevin is the King of Osaka! I can’t argue with that!! The rain is beautiful if you don’t mind getting wet - writing this while it’s raining here in Tokyo (rainy season now).
In April 2019 my husband and I are heading to Japan for 30 days; 10 of which we are staying in Osaka and will be traveling to see Kyoto for a few of the days. This video (and many others you have made) has really helped us seeing where we want to go. I received that post card of Kinkakuji and my husband thinks that is good enough and we should just stick to the east side of Kyoto
Great video!!!
Hey John! It's here YaY!!! watching now and look forward to hearing what Kevin thinks about his homes attractions!
Interesting comments and I admit they're both beautiful but as I am not a fan of huge crowds I think my feet would lead me to Ginkakuji first and possibly leave Kinkakuji to later in the day. The silver pavilion looks like a place I'd be happy to sit and relax in with all those beautiful trees but keep the alien like cicadas away.
Really interesting episode! And I really liked the shoots in the rain. So cool and rare to see ... but sorry for your boots ^^
Loved the video John! Always good to see Kevin!
I enjoyed both but I'll vote for Ginkaku-ji (silver.) If someone is looking to save time I would say cut out Kiyomizu-dera and see both Silver & Gold 😉 Honestly Kinkaku-ji (Gold) is stunning and it would be a real shame for someone to miss out on chance to see it in their lifetime. On the other hand Kiyomizu-dera offered nothing special IMO and was super crowded and I just felt miserable. I don't think its fair to say there is nothing to do near the Golden pavilion. There is *a LOT* to see and do on Kinukake Road. It may not be on the same scale as the philosophers path but Kinukake Road has many temples and fantastic restaurants that are also worth checking out. Must of which are not nearly as crowded as the mail attraction of the golden pavilion. My *Number 1* pick on a Kyoto must see experience would be Eikandocho / Zenrinji, This place is brilliant and climbing Garyu-ro (Spiral Staircase) all the way up to Tahoto was what some might call a spiritual experience and your sense of accomplishment will be rewarded with a stunning view of Kyoto. Number 2 would be Eikandocho / Zenrinji has some of the best fall colors IMO. The grounds are amazing! If you have a tight schedule hit Tetsugaku-no-michi (Philosophers Path.) Start at Higashiyama Jisho-ji and follow it down to Nanzen-ji stoping at all the temples along the way. There's your 1-5 and then some... Will there be crowds? Sure. Will you be stopped by local children to speak english? Yes, but that's part of the experience IMO. You will get one heck of an memory and tons of photo opportunities. Plus you can bang it out all out in one day. If you have another day hit 6. Kinkaku-ji and the Kinukake Road or 7. Fushimi Inari-taisha or 8. Arashiyama.
Hmm ... that's a tough one. Cutting out Kiyomizudera is a little crazy because it's the area that's really nice, from Ninenzaka and Maruyama Park, it's gorgeous and full of shopping. Kinkakuji is okay IF you stay a short time and move fast to the other side OR tie it in to a WEST side day with Ryoanji and maybe Arashiyama - but I'd rather spend an extra day on the EAST side. It's a fun debate!!!
yea western kyoyo has got like only 2 attractions while the east has got way more if you are tight on time.
lyhthegreat there are a lot of positives to the west side and it’s not far from Arashiyama but if you hit Kinkakuji in mid day - forget about it! 😂 but yes, the east side is loaded with attractions including Gion which is the city center.
Nosh Abroad how long did that take to right?
Lisa Aleman it’s easy when you cut n paste from a PC
Hey John Daub gonna say I love your travelling videos in Japan, you did an incredible thing. Way to go! 👍 😁👍
That's why I love Japan.
Love your videos! We are going to Japan June 2019!
Benjamin Gumbley lucky
Not a temple but I love the monkey park in Arashiyama. I can sit there for hours watching the antics of the monkeys. And you can even buy peantus and sweet potato to feed them! So much fun. You should do a video on it!
学生の頃、修学旅行で行きましたが外国の方が多く、長崎県民の私が何故か嬉しくなりました。
Hi from Patreon! Always great to see Kevin :) I'm in total agreement with you both, Ginkaku-Ji wins!
OMG!!!!! I live in Japan!!!! Thank you for making this video!!!! 💜💜💜
Still THE best channel on TH-cam 👍😉
Spring and 🍂 would be cool to visit.
I love jojakkoji! It was very quiet and loved all the green!
Kiyomizu Dera in the late afternoon and early evening was the best ride in Kyoto for me. Fushimi Inari was different, the all folk things involving the foxes brings a misterious and magical japanese youkai and yuurei sense, but as beautiful as Kyomizu! I finished the tour of Kyoto at Gion, I've walked a lot, but enjoyed it so much! I went to Japan in the spring of last year and can't wait to go one more time! Thanks for the videos, John! I wanted to knew the Only in Japan before, but now I'm gettig a good list for what to do for the next trip!
enjoyed the traditional background music during the silver shrine part!
the raindrops brought the Beauty of the PLACE.. really GOOD for the tourist..